1956 celebrated their ten year anniversary in 2009; and it was a sincere reason to celebrate. Ten years of consistently creating thoughtful, yet emotionally imbued rock music. Ten years of honing their unique style of crafting songs, fine-tuning them in front of live audiences, and finally recording them. Tenure of that length gives reason for pause whilst offering a more intuitive element into perspective. It illuminates a wider scope that only comes with experience. The band used this reflection as an inspiration, & felt emboldened with this daring spirit to push themselves not to repeat in any and every capacity.

“LOWTIDE”, 1956’s fourth release, is the result of taking these chances and accepting the challenges. Produced by rising star Shane Hochstetler, who also produced 2007’s “Saboteur”, it is once again a product of sincerity; seven songs in which every note and word holds the key to expression. During pre-production, the band realized that this collection of songs was quite different in almost every nuance. The goal during recording was to simply capture what the songs seemed to be. Simply is a relative word. To begin with, the band needed to expand its sound or sonic palette to effectively reach the textures they envisioned. This meant adding not just instruments, but instrumentation. Arrangement of timbres, melodies, rhythms, and performances into a coalescence of atmosphere and chemistry was the challenge; violins, piano, female vocals, and various percussion are all weaved throughout “LOWTIDE” to incredible effect.

“Pull Away” is the title of the track chosen to introduce listeners to “LOWTIDE”, for reason. It serves as the initial pulse into the overall essence of the recording…in broader terms, the primary nature that there is no positive without the negative; no push without the pull. In the art that is creativity, much as in the energy of living, this is the balance that compels and enables us, or conversely repels and disables us. Throughout the songs on “LOWTIDE”, the pull seems to pervade…The slight insistence of rumination during “Signals”; the prescient veiling and unveiling characterized by “Dressed Rabbits”, the hangover that bests the buzz within “Trim The Wick”, the intrinsic embodiment of relationships that is “Like You Wouldn’t Believe”, the invective that lust can outweigh love on “Hey Hey Hate”; and the conclusion that the small moments can more than equal the big events in “Hearts Racing On”.

1956 has not merely existed for over a decade, evidenced recently by headlining the inaugural Verge Fest in their hometown of Milwaukee. Furthermore, they were a staple on Milwaukee airwaves throughout 2008, culminating with “Saboteur” single “Persistent” being voted into “Best of 2008” by 88NINE Radio Milwaukee listeners. The band has cultivated a highly-regarded indie status by manifesting its artistry through constant seeking, steering through the cycle’s floods and ebbs. With the release of “LOWTIDE”, 2010 and 2011 is abounding with the promise of a new kind of energy, though still with a sense of the tide to it.